The Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet Debate Society (also known as The Barefoot Debaters) originated in 1979. The Law Magnet High School had only been open for a complete school year as a part-time school. A group of Law Magnet students joined together and decided that the school needed a debate program. They convinced Dr. Opal Allread and Dr. Harry Guier to sponsor them. They soon learned they were not allowed to compete in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) because the school recruited students from the entire Dallas Independent School District (DISD). Three of the students - Benny Alexander, Matt Alexander and Tracie Greer - decided to petition the UIL for admission. The three prepared their arguments and made them before the UIL membership committee and WON!. The team was officially born.
The 1980 school year marked the beginning of the team's involvement in the highly competitive Dallas-Fort Worth debate circuit. The team competed in several local Texas Forensic Association with immediate success. The total squad consisted of no less than six policy (CX) debate teams and three Lincoln Douglas debaters. During the Fall Semester two of teams began their official UIL competition. The two teams "closed out" district, regionals and state! The Law Magnet had won the state UIL tournament in its first full year of competition.
In the years since, the Law Magnet has continued to work hard and compete at the highest levels. Below is a small snippet of the highlights.
National Championship Tournaments
State Championship Tournaments
Don Gonzalez & Bennie Alexander and Traci Greer & Matt Alexander - Policy Debate1981UIL State Champions
Angela Taylor ('02) & Anastasia Cunningham ('01) - Policy Debate2000 UIL State - Octo Finalists
Charlie Stephens ('10) & Eddie Camacho ('10) - Policy Debate2010 Tournament of Champions
Nery "Rolando" Velasquez ('12) & Ivan Garcia ('13) - Policy Debate2011 TFA State - Double-Octo Finalists
Nery "Rolando" Velasquez ('12) & Ivan Garcia ('13) - Policy Debate 2012National Forensic League National Tournament
2012 Urban Debate League Nationals - Octo Finals
Kelsey Annu-Essuman ('12) - LD Debate2012 TFA State -Triple-Octo Finalist
Yastril Nanez ('13) and Itzel Padilla ('13) - Policy Debate 2013NSDA National Tournament(*formerly known as the National Forensic League)
2013 Urban Debate League Nationals
Crayton Gerst ('16) and Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2014 NSDA National Tournament Alex Baez ('16) and Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate 2014 NSDA National Tournament Kimberly Pesina ('15) - LD Debate 2014 NSDA National Tournament Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate 2014 NSDA National Tournament *Law Magnet won the Debate Sweepstakes Award @ NSDA Districts
Dino De La O ('156) - LD Debate2014 TFA State -Double-Octo Finalist
L'Aunjanee Carriere ('15) - Worlds Debate2015 National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament Alex Baez ('16) and Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate2015 NSDA National Tournament - reached elimination rounds Crayton Gerst ('16) and Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2015 NSDA National Tournament - reached elimination rounds2015 Tournament of Champions Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2015 Tournament of Champions
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2015 TFA State -Quarter Finalist Crayton Gerst & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate 2015 TFA State -Quarter Finalist Alex Baez & Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate2015 TFA State -Double-Octo Finalist
Tournament of Champions (TOC) Michael Gao ('18) - US Extemp 2016 Tournament of Champions -Quarter Finalist
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2016 Tournament of Champions - 15th Speaker Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2016 Tournament of Champions - Octo Finalist5th Speaker (Crayton) & 20th Speaker (Vernon) Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate2016 Tournament of Champions ------National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA)Michael Gao ('18) 2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
------National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA)Michael Gao ('18) - LD Debate 2016 NSDA Nationals Gabriel Sanchez ('16) & Rafael Sanchez ('16) - Policy Debate2016 NSDA Nationals Crayton Gerst ('16) & Dino De La O('16) - Policy Debate2016 NSDA Nationals Evan Gilbert ('16) & Gerardo Guzman ('16) - Policy Debate2016 NSDA Nationals *Law Magnet won the Debate Sweepstakes Award @ NSDA Districts
Michael Gao ('18) - US Extemp2016 TFA State - Quarter Finalist Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2016 TFA State - Quarter Finalist Juan Martinez ('16) - LD Debate2016 TFA State - Double-Octo Finalist Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2016 TFA State - STATE CHAMPIONS8th Speaker (Crayton) Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate2016 TFA State - Octo Finalists
The 1980 school year marked the beginning of the team's involvement in the highly competitive Dallas-Fort Worth debate circuit. The team competed in several local Texas Forensic Association with immediate success. The total squad consisted of no less than six policy (CX) debate teams and three Lincoln Douglas debaters. During the Fall Semester two of teams began their official UIL competition. The two teams "closed out" district, regionals and state! The Law Magnet had won the state UIL tournament in its first full year of competition.
In the years since, the Law Magnet has continued to work hard and compete at the highest levels. Below is a small snippet of the highlights.
2012 National Forensic League National Tournament
2012 Urban Debate League Nationals - Octo Finals
2013 NSDA National Tournament (*formerly known as the National Forensic League)
2013 Urban Debate League Nationals
Alex Baez ('16) and Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate
2014 NSDA National Tournament
Kimberly Pesina ('15) - LD Debate
2014 NSDA National Tournament
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate
2014 NSDA National Tournament
*Law Magnet won the Debate Sweepstakes Award @ NSDA Districts
Alex Baez ('16) and Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate2015 NSDA National Tournament - reached elimination rounds
Crayton Gerst ('16) and Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2015 NSDA National Tournament - reached elimination rounds2015 Tournament of Champions
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2015 Tournament of Champions
Crayton Gerst & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate
2015 TFA State - Quarter Finalist
Alex Baez & Michael Vera ('16) - Policy Debate 2015 TFA State - Double-Octo Finalist
Tournament of Champions (TOC)
Michael Gao ('18) - US Extemp
2016 Tournament of Champions - Quarter Finalist
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2016 Tournament of Champions - 15th Speaker
Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2016 Tournament of Champions - Octo Finalist5th Speaker (Crayton) & 20th Speaker (Vernon)
Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate2016 Tournament of Champions
------National Debate Coaches Association (NDCA)Michael Gao ('18)
2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Cassandra Lizardi ('16)
2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Juan Martinez ('16) - LD Debate2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Kia Jackson ('16)
2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
David Rocha ('16) - LD Debate2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate2016 NDCA Nationals - Double-Octa Finalist
Gabriel Sanchez ('16) & Rafael Sanchez ('16) - Policy Debate2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
Gerardo Guzman ('17) & Harrison Hamric ('17) - Policy Debate2016 NDCA Nationals qualifier
------National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA)Michael Gao ('18) - LD Debate
2016 NSDA Nationals
Gabriel Sanchez ('16) & Rafael Sanchez ('16) - Policy Debate2016 NSDA Nationals
Crayton Gerst ('16) & Dino De La O('16) - Policy Debate2016 NSDA Nationals
Evan Gilbert ('16) & Gerardo Guzman ('16) - Policy Debate2016 NSDA Nationals
*Law Magnet won the Debate Sweepstakes Award @ NSDA Districts
Dino De La O ('16) - LD Debate2016 TFA State - Quarter Finalist
Juan Martinez ('16) - LD Debate2016 TFA State - Double-Octo Finalist
Crayton Gerst ('16) & Vernon Johnson ('16) - Policy Debate2016 TFA State - STATE CHAMPIONS8th Speaker (Crayton)
Evan Gilbert ('16) & Larry Taylor III ('16) - Policy Debate2016 TFA State - Octo Finalists